Folding chair



E. E, FISHER.

FOLDING CHAIR.

APPLlcATloN man ucT.22. 1919.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

3 SHEETS--SHEET l.

Z. ffii 5 IIW l E. I5. FISIIR.

FOLDING CHAIR.l

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22, 1919.

1,349,2'7 l Patented Au. 10, 1920.

E. E. FISHER.

FOLDING CHAIR.

APFLlcATIoN m50 001251919.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

@vda/woo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER n. rIsHEitor KoKoMo, INDIANA.

Application filed October 22, 1919.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ELMER E. FISHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kokomo, vinthe county of Howard and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Folding Chair, of which thefollowing isa specification.

` This invention relates to folding chairs, one of4 itsobjectsbeing to provide a chair having a flexible seat and back rest, the sev eral parts of the structure being so assembled that the back cannot become dislodged from proper position relative to the seat as long as the seat is occupied, but can be shifted forwardlyand downwardly relative to the unoccupied seat thereby to fold the seat supports and house the chair back within the fold of the seat.

A further object is to so construct the de vice that, by pulling upwardly on the back or pressing downwardly on the front the folded seat'willbe opened out to active position with the seat back in proper place;

Another object is to provide a folding chair which is simple and durable in construction, compact` when folded, and strongly braced when in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that various changes may be made in the construction and'arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as set forth.

In the accompanying drawings the` preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings- Figure 1 is acentral vertical section through the chair set up for use.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, a portion of the seat fabric being broken awaby.

' Fig. Sis a View similar to ig. 1 and showing the chair partly folded. y

Fig.4 4 is a similar view showing the seat entirely folded. v

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of chair set up for use.

Fig. 6 is ai side elevation showing the same folded.

Specification of Letters Patent.

" y Y' :FOLDING CHAIR.

Patented Aug. 1o,` 1920.

Serial No. 332,428.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section on line 7-7,

reference, 1 Vdesignates parallel legs con nected at their upper ends by a rounded seat strip 2 and extending between these legs are parallel legs 3 connected at their upper ends by a seat strip 4 preferablyl rounded as shown. The legs 1 and 3 are pivotally connected at intermediate points vwhere they cross and as shown at 5 and the lower portions of the legs 1 and of the legs 3 can be connected by crossbraces or rounds 6. A fabric seat bottom 7 or a bottom of any suitable flexible material is secured to the two strips 2 and 4 and has the added function of limiting the movement of the strips 2 and `4 away from each other.

Journaled in the legs 1 near the upper lends thereof is a roller "8. Flexible straps of fabric, leather, or other suitable material, and which have been indicated at 9, are secured at one end to the strip 4 and extend over the roller 8. The front ends of the straps are secured to the front ends of the sides of a frame 1() which is located be- I tween the legs 1 and the legs 3 and is pivot- V14 connects Athe strips 11 near their upper A back rest 15 formed of suitableV ends. material is secured to the front faces of the back strips as shown. Pins 16 are extended from the legs 3 in front of the strips 11 and pins 17 are extended from said legs back of strips 11. l

Vhenthe chair is set up for use, as shown invFig. 1 the strips 11 bear down on the legs 1 and are prevented from sliding downwardly on said legs by the straps 9 which pull on the frame 10. Vhen it isdesired to fold the chair the back structure is swung forwardly and pressed downwardly. The frame 10 will thus be caused to 4pull on the straps 9 and they, in turn will draw the strips 2 and 4 toward each other thereby swinging the legs 1 and 3 so as to fold the chair. As the back structure moves downwardly the rest 15 will move into the fold of the bottom 7, as shown in Fig. 4 and the entire device will thus be completely folded into a compact bundle. Furthermore shoulders 18 on the strips 11 will engage shoulders 19 on the legs 1. ThusV the folded chair can be carried by means of the back thereof. To Vset up the chair for use the foregoing operation is reversed. The baclrsection is thrust downwardly. so .as to disengage the locking means and is then pulled upwardly and is limited in its movement by the pins. 1t is then swung back about its points of contact with the legs 3 and said legs will be shifted relative yto `the legs 1 so as. to draw the seat 7 taut. Cr, if preferred, the front of the seat can be" pushed down and will cause the seat to spread and the-back to move upwardly. v Y A.

1t is to be understood that the ends of the strips 2 and A ,project laterally beyond the seat 7 so as to limit the free movement of the sider strips 11 of the back frame, the projecting ends ofthe strip d supporting the strips 11 when the chair is in use.

The seat 7 can be of any construction desired, it only being necessary to .provide a seat that will fold.

In Figs, 5, 6 and 7 another form of the chair has been illustrated. By referring to these figures it will be noted that the side strips 2O of the chair back are provided,

:within their inner sides, with longitudinal grooves 21 and projecting into these grooves are guide pins'22 extending from theupper portions of the legs 23, arm rests 24 are pivotally connected to the upper sides of the strips 20 as shown at 25 and are connected by hinges 26 tothe upper ends of the supports 27. The lower ends of these'supports are pivotally connected, as at 28, to the legs 29 of the chair- The lower ends of the strips 2,0 are attached to a frame 30 similar to the frame 10 heretoforedescribed.

. It will be obvious that when the bach of thismodilied form of chair isthrust downwardly the arm rests 24 will fold against the supports 27 and the strips 2O will slide downwardly along the legs 29 until theparts are brought to the position shown in Fig. 6.V

l/Vhat is claimed is 1. A folding chair including pivotallyr connected crossed pairsof legs, a flexible seat connected to the upper ends of the legs, a guide member carried by one Apair of legs close tothe front of the seat, a back structure `movably mounted on said pair of legs, Va connection between the lower end of said structure Vand the back of the seat, said connection extending over the guide, and means for limiting the upward movement of said structure 'relative to the seat.

- k2. A foldingchair including crossed pairs necting said strips, connectedy backstrips at opposite sides of the seat and movable between the projecting ends of the seat strips,

alguide connecting the legs ofV one pairclose to the front of the seat, a connection between the back seat strip and the lower ends of the back strips and extending over the guide, said back strips normally bearing on the legs of one pair, and means for limiting the strips relative back structure including a back rest, said structure being braced in activeV position by the legs and the back portion. ofthe seat, and means operated by the downwardrmovement ofr the back structure relative tol the seat'for folding the legs and for housing the back rest withinV the fold of the seat.

t. A folding chair including pivotally connected pairs of legs, a flexible seat carried thereby and having laterally projecting front and back strips, a back frame movable freely relative to the legs and seat and between the Y projecting portions of said back` and front strips, the legs of one pairl constituting supports for the lower end of-the back frame, means operated by the downward movement of the back frame relative to the seat forV swinging the pairs of-legsto Afolded position and for folding the seat between the` legs, and for limitingthe upward movement of the back frame relative to the seat.

5. A folding chair including pivotally connected pairs of legs, a fiexible seat connected thereto and foldable therebetween a back structure including a baclrrest, said structure beingbraeed in active position by the legs and the back portion of the seat,

andmeans operated by the downward movement of the back Vstructure relativetothe'seat for folding the legsand for housing the back rest within the fold of the Vseat and coperating means upon the'back structure and one of the pairs of legs for fastening the chair in folded position.

6. A folding chair including pivotally connected pairs of legs, a flexible seat connected thereto and foldable therebetweenV a back struetureincluding a baclrrest,fsaid structure being braced in active position by the legs and the back portion of the-seat, and means operated by the downward movement of the back structure relative to the seat for folding the legs and for housing the back rest within the fold of the seat, coperating means upon the back structure and one pair of legs, and means upon said back structure a'ndcoperating with the seat, for holding the chair folded whensupported by the back structure. f A

7 A folding? chairV includingV pivotally connected crossed pairs of legs, a flexible seat connected tothe upper ends of the legs7 zt guide member carried by one pair of legs close to the front of the seat, a back structure movebly mounted on said pair of legs, e connection between the lower end of said structure and the beek of the seat, said `oonneotion extending over the guide, there being longitudimil grooves in the inner sides of the beek structure, and guide pins extending from the legs of one peil' and projecting into the grooves.

8. A folding olntir including pivotally connected crossed pairs of legs, a flexible seat connected to the upper ends of the legs, e guide member carried by one pair of legs close to the front of the seat, a beek strueture movztbly mounted on seid pair of legs, e Connection between the lower end of said structure and the beek of the seat, said conneotion extending over the guide, there being longitudinal grooves in the inner sides of the back structure, and guide pins extending from the legs of one pair endprojeoting into the grooves, supports hingedly oonneeted to the front legs, and arm rests hingedly connected to the sides of the beek structure end extending over and hinged to said supports, the arm rests and supports being foldeble together during the folding of the chair. i

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto alixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELMER E. FISHER,

Witnesses:

C. W. ROLL, LLOYD MoCLmxE.. 

